Nowadays, more and more people are choosing laser-cut partitions, fences and ornaments with unique elements. We are often asked to add something to the plate in addition to the pattern. In such cases it becomes important to choose the right fonts to match the laser cut. I have therefore put together a short guide on what to look out for or what typeface to design with.
Table of Contents
Why is it important to choose the right font for laser cutting?
Laser cutting is a process where it makes sense to blend patterns together, as it is the drop-outs that give contrast to the products.
If the inner part is not bound, this is the pattern you get:
However, if the inside is bound, the font will be slightly distorted, but it can be laser cut. In this case, you will have a lettering that looks like this:
In these patterns, it is the white part that will be metallic in the final result.
This is what happens when you want to design an ornament:
What happens to this design.
A properly joined laser-cut pattern:
In the first pattern, the black dots and the heart shape will fall out of the middle of the product, so you get an ornament like this afterwards:
What fonts should you use for laser cutting?
Of course, it is possible to do a custom binding, but it is time-consuming and may require the help of a professional experienced in laser cutting. We are happy to help with similar tasks. If you have already designed your own design using laser-cuttable fonts, all you need to do is send it for cutting. These fonts come with weights by default and most of them are free to download, even from Google’s own font repository.
List of laser cutting fonts
- Stencil font family – Various creators
Sophisticated fonts with weights not just for dropouts. This has the advantage of being easier on the eye and pleasing to look at. There are both pedestal and pedestalless fonts. - Hemi Head – Typodermic Fonts Inc.
Italic typeface in an industrial style. Highly recommended for lovers of cars, motorbikes and machines. - Wallpoet – Lars Berggren
Square font, best in technical futuristic environments. - Plaster – Sorkin Type
This special typeface has been made laser-readable by using saturated interlining, which gives it a special look but makes it harder to read. Better recommended for short texts. - Emblema One – Riccardo De Franceschi
A personal favourite. It has excellent use of borders and is very legible. It also gives the font a sense of lightness and legibility. Really balanced font for laser cutting. - LaserCutRegular – Ismeretlen szerző
There is both upper and lower case, but pay attention to the letter “O” as it is not bound. Nevertheless, it is excellent for laser cutting letters.
Tips and summary for choosing fonts for laser cutting:
Avoid thin fonts, or those where there is only a single weave or bridge to a large area such as the inside of the letter “O”. The spacing between the letters should not be too small, unless a handwriting-like font is used. A larger font size may also be advantageous for legibility. Smaller letters can also be cut out by the laser, as it can position the movement of the laser beam with a precision of micro millimetres. Care must be taken, however, to ensure that these laser-cut distances are no less than half the thickness of the selected metal material. This means that a 2 mm thick aluminium sheet, usually used, should have at least 1 mm between the two adjacent lines when laser cutting.
